Collection 478 Oral History Interviews with Paul A. Buyse

Collection

Identifier: CN 478

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

Oral history interviews with Paul Adrian Buyse (1926-2017), Africa Inland Mission worker in the Belgian Congo/Zaire. Topics covered include Buyse's childhood and youth as the son of AIM missionary parents in the Congo; education at Rethy Academy, Northwestern Schools, and Moody Bible Institute; work with North Arkansas Gospel Mission, spiritual hardships of being a missionary; his work in the Congo among pygmies; development of the Africa Inland Church in the Congo, transition from missionary to national authority; gender roles in the Congolese church; the Congo's independence, Belgium's colonial administration of the Congo; communications between AIM's US office and the fields; chaplaincy at AIM's Media Retirement Center. The time period covered by the interviews is 1926 to 1993.

Paul Buyse was interviewed by Paul Ericksen on January 18 and 19, 1993 at the Africa Inland Mission Media Retirement Center in Clermont, Florida.

Dates

Created: 1993

Conditions Governing Access

There are no restrictions on the use of this collection.

Biographical or Information

Full Name: Paul Adrian Buyse

Birth Date: August 26, 1926, in Aba, the Belgian Congo, to workers of Africa Inland Mission Family:

Parents: Leonard J. and Daphne Angeline Buyse

Siblings: Helen Jean, John, Robert, Marian

Marital Status: Married September 1948

Conversion: January 1937 at the age of eleven at an AIM missionary conference

Education:

1932-1938 - Attended Rethy Academy in the Congo through the 6th grade

1938-1944 - Attended Westervelt Academy in South Carolina and public high school in Minnesota

1945 - Briefly attended Northwestern Bible School in Minneapolis, Minnesota

1945-1948 - Moody Bible Institute, Chicago, Illinois Career:

1948-1950 - Internship with North Arkansas Gospel Mission in Hasty, Arkansas

1950-1952 - Baptist pastorate in Garden City, Minnesota

1952-ca. 1955 - AIM mission station at Biasiko, work with pygmies

1955-1957 - Work in the Mwende Ruwenzori Mountains

1957-1959 - Furlough in the United States and Belgian (language study)

1959-1962 - AIM station at Blukwa, Congo

1962-1964 - Lalia, Congo, work among the pygmies

1964-1966 - Furlough in the United States

1966 - AIM station at Oicha, Zaire

1967-1989 - AIM station at Rethy, Zaire. Was involved in church planting and mobile eye clinics

1989-1992 - AIM United States headquarters at Pearl River, New York. Worked in finance department, coordinator for the AIM headquarters relocation committee

1992 - Moved to the AIM's Media Retirement Center in Florida, served as chaplain

Other significant information: Family was on furlough in the United States (1928-1929); family was at Blukwa (1929-1932); family was at Rethy (1932-1938). Ordained minister in the Conservative Baptist Denomination (ca. 1950).

Extent

4.00 Audio Tapes

207 Minutes

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Accruals and Additions

The materials in this collection was given to the Billy Graham Center Archives by Paul Buyse in January 1993.

Accession: 93-11

June 18, 2001

Robert Shuster